When working or living abroad, you will have social security cover by either your home country or the host country. In either case, you'll need to make arrangements to make sure you stay covered after you move to your new country.

What to do if you are:

Living and working abroad

You and your dependants will then be covered by that country's social security system. Your benefits related to sickness, family, unemployment, pensions, occupational accidents and diseases, early retirement and death will be determined by the local laws.

Qualifying periods

In many countries, the benefits you're entitled to may depend on how long you've previously paid contributions for.

The country where you claim benefits must take into account all the periods you've worked or all the contributions you've paid in other EU countries as if you'd been covered in that country all along.

Sample story

Every period of work in the EU counts for benefits

Ania from Poland worked 6 years in Poland and then moved to Germany, where she worked for 2 years.

She then had a car accident which left her unable to walk, so she applied for an invalidity pension in both Poland and Germany.

The German authorities dismissed her application because she'd worked there for less than 5 years (the minimum period to qualify for a German invalidity pension).

However, in calculating Ania's working years, the authorities should have included the time she'd worked in Poland. This would have brought the figure to 8 years, well over the German minimum for qualifying.

So Ania was actually entitled to an invalidity pension from both Germany and Poland — each country paying a share proportionate to the years Ania had worked there.

Posted abroad on a short assignment (<2 years)

As an EU national, you can work temporarily in another EU country and still remain covered by your home social security system, that is the system of the country where you usually work. You will be then considered a posted worker.

Being posted to another EU country - whether you are an employee or self-employed - has no impact on your (or your family's) social security rights (health cover, family allowance, disability or old-age pension, etc.).

Sample story

Social security contributions - paid only in the country where you work

Balázs used to live in Hungary and work in Austria. During that time, he paid his contributions in Austria. However, the Hungarian authorities are now claiming he should have paid contributions in Hungary.

Cross-border commuters in the EU are covered under one national social security system only — in the country where they work. The Hungarian authorities' claim is wrong.

Working in more than one country

The basic rule is that if you work in more than one EU country but do a substantial part of your work (at least 25%), in your country of residence, you'll be covered by the laws of your country of residence.

Special cases

If you...

Country where you're covered

Work less than 25% of the time in your country of residence

Where your employer's head office or business is located

Work less than 25% of the time in your country of residence for two employers with head offices in different countries, one in your country of residence and one outside your country of residence

Where your employer's head office or place of business is located outside your country of residence

Work less than 25% of the time in your country of residence for two employers with head offices in different countries outside your country of residence

Your country of residence

Are self-employed and do less than a substantial part of your work in your country of residence

Where the centre of interest of your activities is located

Have a job in one country and do self-employed work in another

Where you have a job

Looking for work

Receiving unemployment benefit?

If you're receiving unemployment benefit from the EU country where you became unemployed, going abroad to look for work won't affect your (or your family's) rights to health cover, family allowance, invalidity or old age pension rights, etc.

Not receiving unemployment benefit?

If you're not receiving benefit from the EU country where you became unemployed and move to another EU country to look for work, the social security authorities will decide by which social security system you'll be covered (health cover, family allowance, etc…).

The social security authorities determine this with the help of a list of criteria including:

duration of stay

family status and ties

housing situation

place of latest professional or non-profit activity

nature of professional activity

where you reside for tax purposes.

The country responsible for your social security may make your entitlement to benefits dependent on how long you've previously paid contributions for. However, it will have to take into account all the periods you've worked or all the contributions you've paid in other EU countries as if you'd been covered in that country all along.

As a newly-arrived jobseeker, you have a right to reside in that country to look for work for up to 6 months - and longer, if you can prove you're still looking for a job and have a good chance of finding one.

So be sure to keep copies of:

your job applications

any invitations for interview

any other replies you receive.

EU rules don't oblige your new country to grant income support or any other kind of welfare assistance to jobseekers looking for a job for the first time in that country.

Sample story

Check whether you're entitled to income support as a jobseeker in your new country

Björn from Germany had been receiving his German unemployment benefits in Belgium. When his U2 form (formerly E 303 form) expired, Björn decided to stay on in Belgium and apply for income support there.

The Belgian authorities turned down his application. Under Belgian law, Björn wasn't entitled to income support in Belgium, as he'd never worked there.

Under EU rules you have no automatic right to income support (or any other kind of assistance) as a first-time jobseeker in another EU country. But you might be entitled under national rules - it's always worth checking with the local authorities.